BASE & Skydiving Canopy Handling

5-Day Intensive Skills Course

Why This Course Exists

Most BASE jumpers and skydivers spend years jumping—but only accumulate a few hours of deliberate canopy training.

When something goes wrong after opening, there is rarely time to think.

This course is designed to change that.

Over five focused days, you’ll log 20–30 hours of structured, hands-on canopy practice, building the muscle memory, judgment, and control required to manage your canopy confidently—from opening to landing—under both normal and off-nominal conditions.

This is not theory-heavy classroom instruction.
This is canopy flying as a skill, trained deliberately and progressively.

Who This Course Is For

  • BASE jumpers (Novice to Intermediate)

  • Skydivers looking to dramatically improve canopy control

  • Jumpers transitioning to lower-altitude, higher-consequence environments

  • Anyone who wants to stop reacting to their canopy and start flying it

What You Will Gain

By the end of the course, participants will:

  • Understand ram-air canopy behavior specific to BASE environments

  • Recognize and correct off-heading openings early

  • Develop confidence using toggles, rear risers, and front risers

  • Handle line twists and asymmetric inputs without panic

  • Execute stable approaches and accurate landings

  • Build repeatable canopy decision-making under pressure

The emphasis throughout the course is early inputs, correct inputs, and calm control.

How the Training Is Structured

Classroom Foundations (Applied, Not Academic)

Short classroom sessions provide the framework for what you’ll practice outside:

  • Ram-air canopy design and characteristics

  • Airflow, fluid dynamics, and environmental effects

  • Natural airflow vs. artificial airflow

  • Body–canopy geometry and control authority

  • Why small inputs early matter more than big inputs late

Ground Handling & Launch Control (The Core Skill)

Ground handling is treated as canopy flight training, not just launch prep.

You’ll learn and practice the three “gear shifts” of launch:

First Gear — Wing on the Ground to Overhead
 The highest feedback, highest drag, and most critical phase.
This is where control is won or lost.

Second Gear — Maintaining Overhead Control
 Stability, awareness, and precision under varying wind conditions.

Third Gear — Airspeed and Lift-Off
 Clean transitions into flight with deliberate control.

Training includes:

  • High-wind reverse ground handling

  • Side kiting and tip control

  • Forward and reverse launches

  • Transitions from risers to toggles

  • Full reverse launch sequences in mid to strong wind

  • Forward launches in light or no wind

In-Flight Canopy Control & Emergency Handling

These skills are trained progressively and repeatedly:

  • Toggle control for normal flight and emergencies

  • Rear riser control for heading and glide management

  • Front riser control and energy awareness

  • Flat turns vs. toggle turns

  • Line twist management (both directions)

  • Controlled recovery from off-nominal situations

The goal is not just knowing what to do—but doing it correctly without hesitation.

What’s Included

  • 5 full days of practical, hands-on training

  • All training equipment provided for practice sessions

  • Progressive coaching and feedback throughout the week

Equipment Provided

  • Practice harness

  • Practice wing / canopy

Equipment Required

  • Helmet

  • Shoes

Optional (If You Want to Use Your Own)

  • BASE canopy

  • BASE container

  • Skydiving canopy

Course Cost

$1,500 USD
   $500 deposit required to reserve your spot

Locations & Dates

  • April–May 2026 — Monterey, California, USA

  • June 2026 — Pacific City, Oregon, USA

  • November 2026 – February 2027 — Iquique, Chile

(4–6 day windows depending on weather)

Instructors

Mick Knutson

  • BASE jumper since 1992

  • Founder of BLiNC Magazine

  • BASE #454 | El Capitan #113

  • IPBC competitor (late 1990s–early 2000s)

  • Host and moderator of the BASE Fatality List since 2007

  • Speed flying, paragliding, and parakiting since 2009

Cynthia Currie

  • Owner at Raven Wolf Sky Sports

  • Skydiving Tandem Instructor / Evaluator / AFFI
    Started Skydiving in 2002
    Started Wingsuit in 2004

  • BASE jumper since 2012
    WS BASE since 2013

  • Paragliding and Speed Flying Advanced Instructor / Tandem Instructor

The Bottom Line

Canopy emergencies don’t start at impact.
They start at opening—and end only when you’re safely on the ground.

This course exists to make sure you’re ready for everything in between.